How I got PGWP & TRV from within Canada

I came into Canada as an international student in the Fall of 2022 to pursue an M.Sc. degree at Lakehead University. I completed it by the end of April 2024 and applied for PGWP (Post Graduation Work Permit) on May 8th. My application got approved exactly 3 months after that – on August 8th.

Here’s a short summary of all the steps I took for the PGWP and then the TRV (Temporary Resident Visa) afterwards.

Total timeline in brief

May 8 – PGWP application submitted

May 9 – WP-EXT received

August 8 – PGWP application approved

August 16 – PGWP arrives in mail

August 16 – TRV application submitted

August 30 – TRV application approved (Correspondence Letter, Original Passport request)

August 31 – Passport + Request Letter + Envelope mailed to Ottawa via XpressPost

September 4 – Mail delivered to Ottawa

September 6 – Counterfoil generated

September 10 – Passport with TRV received

Steps for PGWP

1. Gather the documents
   • Actual degree or convocation – not required
   • Must have – official transcripts, degree requirements met letter
     
     You can contact your university to get these degrees and they may charge a fee.
     
     In my case, I submitted the request for my Degree Requirements Met letter from my student account at my university’s website (myinfo). It cost me $50.
     
     For the Official Transcript, I also submitted a request from the website and paid a fee of $15. It was then mailed to my home address in a week.
   • Other documents –
     • IMM 5710e
     • Passport – scanned (I made a PDF file with the scanned photos, showing my bio page and student visa)
     • Photo
2. Submit the application online
   • Within 180 days since completing degree requirements
   • Submit all docs after signing into your IRCC account (I use GCKey username and password)
3. Make the payment : $255
4. Wait for approval: exactly 3 months in my case
   • Correspondence letter on August 8th
   • In Canada Approval letter on August 10th
5. Wait for the mail: 2 weeks after approval (for me)
   • Until I got it in the mail, I couldn’t start my TRV application since I needed a scanned copy of the PGWP for it

Steps for TRV

1. Docs needed
   • IMM 5257e
   • PGWP
   • Passport scanned
   • Photo
   • Client Info (optional)
2. Pay and submit: $100 – August 16th
3. Wait for original passport request – came on my GCKey account on August 30th
4. Mail to Ottawa – August 31st
   • I used two XpressPost envelopes of Canada Post for faster processing. Make sure to save both their tracking numbers on the Canada Post app on your phone (you can do so by scanning the barcode available on the envelope’s body). One envelope is to send your docs to Ottawa and the other envelope will be used by them to return your passport to you.
   • Docs included in the mail:
     • Passport
     • Passport Request Letter
     • Return envelope with my address on it
5. Counterfoil generated
   • My mail was delivered to Ottawa on September 4th. I got this update because I was tracking the first envelope on the Canada Post app.
   • Then the “counterfoil generated” update came on my GCKey account on September 6th.
6. Received passport with the visa by mail – September 10th

Other Steps to Take After Graduation

Update SIN expiry date

Your original Social Insurance Number (SIN) is supposed to expire close to the expiry date of your Study Permit or Student Visa. That’s why you need to update it so that it stays valid when you’re under any employment in Canada.

You can view your SIN on My Service Canada Account (MSCA). Once registered or signed in to MSCA, you will be able to view your SIN details including its expiry date.

To update it, visit this portal and submit all the required documents. There is no fee associated with this application.

Update Credit Card expiry date

Similarly, you also need to update your Credit Card expiry date so that you can continue paying for your bills, groceries, and other essentials.

To do so, contact your bank’s customer care or visit your local branch in person. They should be able to order a new credit card and mail it to your address as soon as possible.